


Bitter.

by Bhalia



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Before Royal., Breaking down, Crying, Gen, Light Angst, No beta we die like men., Post Interrogation room., Whump, kinda.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:21:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24563047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bhalia/pseuds/Bhalia
Summary: And the taste in his mouth was bitter.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 96





	1. Bitter.

The aroma that the cup of coffee emitted was exquisite; the steam that rose upwards because it was freshly made, and the dark colour of the coffee would make it a delicious drink thanks to the coffee beans he had chosen to make it. Even so, the only thing Sojiro could taste was something bitter and heartfelt.

He took a long breath as he placed the cup on the coffee bench. It wasn't the first time that anything he made in those days tasted the same; it could be a perfect curry dish, or a cup of coffee with the best coffee beans in the world. Everything tasted horrible. He couldn't understand why. Maybe he'd lost his touch? Maybe he'd had problems with his ingredients? He turned his tired gaze to the t.v. that was on. The local news was playing in a quiet and distant whole.

The time on the screen was pretty late. He put his hands to his face, passing it with laziness, and a feeling in the pit of his stomach of fear as he watched the television show. He remembered that it had been days since the plan had been carried out. He still didn't understand very well about the "Metaverse" or everything involved with it. Hell, he still couldn't understand how those kids had managed to do so much with a cell phone app. The only thing he understood was that Akira had been arrested, and he didn't know anything else.

 **"...Breaking news. We have confirmed that the leader of The Phantom Thieves has just committed suicide in the last few hours..."** That phrase had been tormenting him ever since he heard it.

The boy had explained the plan to him, his idea of " Turn himself in to pretend and keep everyone safe." He thought it was crazy at first. But he couldn't get him to change his mind. The others agreed and he was extremely headstrong for his own good. It seemed to have worked, at least for the first part. Akira had been captured and arrested. And now?

  
He didn't know anything.

He took another sip of his coffee, the taste was even worse, strong, sour and unpleasant. He thought it was better to stop drinking it for a moment. But his thoughts were spinning in an endless cycle, where he drank from that cup again without realizing it.

He looked at the television again, the same news circulating over and over again; on every channel of Japanese television it was all that was being talked about. He sighed with exhaustion again and reached for the remote control to turn it off. Leblanc was silent. There were no customers, the streets were empty, and there was only the tired old owner waiting for something he didn't know what it was.

He took the cup back and left it in the kitchen to take care of it in the morning. He left his apron on the hanger and grabbed his regular clothes. Futaba was probably waiting him. But, the lights shining on the side of the café had drawn his attention.

"Sakura-san." A voice called him from outside, it was soft but sounded... insistent. Sojiro walked to the door, to see who it was.

"Sakura-san, I need help." Nijima Sae was outside. Of all the people he had thought of - and wished they were - she was not the one he expected. He hesitated for a second, but then opened the door. It was cold outside, the night was deep and dark. Leblanc was the only place that radiated light, as was the prosecutor's car, which at that moment had the passenger door open.

Nijima-san... What the..." His voice cut off instantly. The prosecutor looked slightly shaken, her fine, tidy work clothes slightly untidy. Her eyes showed a feeling of tiredness and concern. It was the first time he had seen her so human.

" He's been in the interrogation room for more than six hours. " She spoke. "When I arrived he was already like this... apparently he was drugged with chemicals." That's when he noticed.

Akira was there. He looked small as a child. The light of the place let him see his wounds, his lost and near-fainting eyes, and his skin so pale.

Sojiro felt the bitterness in his mouth again.

* * *

  
"For God's sake, kid. You scared me to death." Sojiro said, stretching out.

Getting Akira up to the attic was difficult, even though there were the two of them to do it. Sae tried to explain everything that had happened; from the interrogation when she arrived in the room, to the multiple wounds she saw and all those syringes on the floor. She didn't skip a single detail, and that made his heart feel heavy in his chest.

"It seems he's still trying not to lose consciousness." The woman knelt to the side. They had left the teenager in his bed as best they could, it was difficult, but in the end they made it. Akira's eyes were slightly open, but opaque at the same time. His dilated pupil moved slowly toward the voices beside him. "It must be the drug... maybe it was Serum of Truth... or something else." Her face showed a small grimace, which did not go unnoticed by the man. Then she rose from the floor, and turned to him. "That's all I can do... maybe I should contact a doctor nearby. It's most likely they broke some of his bones."

"Yes, I..." his gaze went to the bed, for a moment and then to Sae. "Yes, I'll see what I can do." He nodded to her. He could see her shoulders drop instantly, Sae sighed silently, and looked away.

"Kurusu-kun must be the most wanted criminal by the police now. You cannot let him be caught. Otherwise... "She fell silent for a moment. "It could be even worse." The woman nodded, and began walking toward the exit.

"Thank you... for everything, Nijima-san."

She stopped in the middle of the stairs and saw the man. She was silent and made a gesture, then began to descend. Now they must act with caution. 

When the door to the café opened and then closed, Sojiro walked over to the bed, looking at the boy he was protecting. 

His breathing was slow but it sounded like he was having trouble breathing properly. His hands and face were full of reddish-purple bruises, and even his lip was broken, with a streak of blood running down the side. He was soaked in sweat, his eyes were still numb. He was just a boy who had just suffered something horrible. Sojiro couldn't believe what he was seeing, he looked so weak, as if he would break at any moment.

"Akira... Akira, can you hear me, boy?" He spoke softly. The man sat down by the side of the bed. The black-haired boy was alarmed in his place, coming on guard at once. His hands began to move madly back and forth, and his legs as well, it was as if he were twisting in the bed, trying to escape the danger he thought he was still in. "Woah, woah, easy, easy, you're okay, you're back." He put his hand on his chest, but that didn't seem to calm him down. Akira began to gasp as if trying to say something, but only whimpers came out in fear. He punched in the air, and kicked hard. Sojiro had to catch both hands in a firm grip, and began to whisper calm words to him to relax him.

"Take it easy, Akira. You are fine, you are in Leblanc, no one will do anything to you!" his voice was firm, but extremely careful. He felt that if he raised his voice too loudly, he could make the child have a panic attack at any time.

"N-no! L-let me go, let me go, don't hurt me." He whimpered with panic in his voice, his breathing was rough. "L-let me go." His voice broke in the latter, then he stopped trying to run. Sojiro instinctively began to whisper words of comfort to him, without let him go away.

"I-I'm scared." He said between his sobs. He had started to cry, the tears rolled down his face like waterfalls, and his hiccups grew stronger. "It hurts... it hurts so much. Everything... hurts." He sobbed and closed his eyes, as he leaned against his guardian. 

Sojiro could only watch in shock and complete fear; his heart dropped at the sight of Akira - a person who seemed so strong, so headstrong, and above all, so righteous - being like this. He sometimes forgot that "The terrifying, evil leader of The Phantom Thieves" was just a little boy.

A little boy who had endured a lot of suffering. His wounds, his fear, his exhaustion, everything, everything told him that.   
He tried to comfort him, but he couldn't. Akira continued to cry, and his words mixed and sounded incoherent from the drug, and his wounded face soaked with his own tears.

_"I am scared."_

_"It hurts so much."_

_"I don't want this anymore."_

_"Help, please."_

_"Make it stop..."_

And the tired old man could only hear, as he watched the child that he saw as a family crying on its chest painfully. 

**_The bitter taste was still there._ **


	2. Bittersweet.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atleast, was bittersweet.

The sky outside was dark and grayish. In the distance little lightning could be heard, and the street was drenched with a gentle, silent drizzle. Akira looked out of the attic window. His grey eyes full of dark circles and pale skin were illuminated by the few rays of sun that hid from the clouds.

The room was empty and cold. Morgana wasn't around to at least try and have a conversation with him. Even so, he was unsure if he would be able to answer any questions he might have. 

It had been a couple of days since he had returned to Leblanc.

He didn't... remember anything. The last thing he knew was being in the interrogation, trying to answer the questions he was being asked. After that... everything was black.

He doesn't even know how he got back, what happened, if he accomplished his plan, if he was really dead. He felt like he was floating in endless space, and supremely painful. His whole body hurt. His face, his ribs, his arms, his leg. It was as if he had been thrown against stone walls, and he could hardly breathe in pain, because if he tried to move, it only hurt more.  
He hadn't moved from his bed for two days. He had spoken to no one but Sojiro for the past two days. In fact, he was not sure if it had truly been two days, one, or even a week. 

He leaned against the back of the bed carefully, letting out a painful shriek from underneath his breath. The bandages clutched almost all of his body, and made him uncomfortable. He sighed shakily, closing his eyes. 

_The metallic taste burst in his mouth, and the burning that followed was unbearable. He coughed, as he watched the drops of blood fall from his lips onto the floor. He lifted his face toward the person in front of him. The mischievous smile and those icy eyes sent a shiver down his back._

_"Who knew that a piece of shit could be so troublesome." The police officer laughed mockingly as he leaned over. Akira wanted to flee at once, but the grip on his head kept him quiet._

_Another punch, this time he was thrown to the clean floor of the interrogation room. His face hit the floor. The lights turned black and white, and he screamed._

_"Tsk, I can't believe how weak you are. I almost feel sorry for you." Something hit his ribs. He felt them break and the pain was overwhelming. He gasped again, trying to cover himself, but it was in vain. He received a kick in his stomach, and he ran out of air._

_He coughed more, trying not to choke on his own saliva and the blood in his mouth. He was shaking, he was cold, and everything hurt._

_"Welcome to hell. We'll make you talk, "dear leader."_

His heart started beating fast, and he opened his eyes in a jump. He looked around desperately, trying to calm himself. The warm light on the ceiling, the specks of dust flying around, the smell of wood and coffee being everywhere. He was in Leblanc, no longer in the interrogation room.

He was safe.

He put his hands to his face, hiding. He was shaking; his hands, his heart, his lips. He swallowed hard, trying to quiet the sobbing that came from his mouth.

"Akira? God, kid, you scared me!" Sojiro walked up the stairs at a fast pace. He looked worried, wearing his work apron and holding something he'd been working on before he went up. The man walked up to the bed and took a seat on it, watching the teenager who was still hiding his face. "Akira, son, are you all right? I heard you shouting from the café... In fact, I think even the customers heard you." He said in the same soft tone that he had used since he returned.

Akira lowered his hands, and tried to hide them from the other man's view. Though it was clear that he was still shaking, and that he was still afraid. His eyes were fixed on the window. The glow of the sun was orange now. The streets were completely soaked and there were no more clouds. He had fallen asleep without wanting to. But he didn't feel well, he was tired.

He hadn't been able to sleep well since he got back. 

He stayed awake all the time, on guard. He felt that if he lost his concentration for a moment, he would be attacked from behind. But when he couldn't take it anymore, and lost consciousness, he only had nightmares that made him jump in place and stay awake. 

_The taste of blood in his mouth, the burning in his ribs, and the pain in his body._

He trembled again, blinking repeatedly. His breath caught in his throat, and he bit his lips.

He didn't look at the other man's face, didn't want to see how he had a worry in his eyes and a grimace of grief. 

"I-I'm fine." His voice sounded more insecure than anything else, he cleared his throat slightly and spoke again. "I'm fine... I... I'm sorry I worried you." But his voice sounded even more broken. He didn't understand why.

He didn't understand why his heart was tightening in his chest, why his eyes were getting wet, or why his lip was trembling.   
The feeling of needles, the headache, the inability to keep his eyes open.

He accidentally let out a sob. Even though it was small, he couldn't stop it. Another came out, and another, and another. When he realized, he was crying. Tears streamed down his face, soaking his bandages and falling against the blanket on the bed.

He remembered the pain, the taste of blood, the words, everything. He felt so bad, he didn't understand anything. He couldn't stop shaking, he couldn't stop crying. 

He had to stop, because he was the leader. Right? A leader is someone strong who takes care of people, who shows no weakness and who stands firm. So why couldn't he be one? He felt he was failing.

He must have been fine. Because he was the leader of The Phantom Thieves. 

But he was afraid, he was exhausted, he wanted to end it all. Everything tasted so bitter at that moment.

His hands squeezed the blanket, as more tears fell onto it. He was trying not to break, really, he was trying not to be a nuisance or something. He swallowed his saliva and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. 

He felt something over his head and immediately jumped at the touch. He walked backwards away from it. He found himself with Sojiro's embarrassed look, and his hand in the air.

_The pain in his head from being grabbed by his hair made him feel useless. He tried to escape, tried to shake it off, to run away, but all he got was a slamming blow to the ground._

"God... boy. What they did to you?" whispered the man, as he slowly lowered his hand again. In his eyes, Akira was like a frightened kitten that had been hurt in the past and was still trying to heal. "No one will hurt you, you are safe..."

He lowered his hand again, and placed it gently and slowly on the head of the other. Though Akira jumped back in out of fear, he stood still, frozen. His breath became heavy, and his tears continued to fall hard. 

Sojiro wanted to protect him; seeing him so hurt made his own heart ache. The only time he felt anything like this was with Futaba. Now, he saw the boy as if he were his own flesh and blood, like a son.

And it hurt him to see one of his children suffering like that.

"Take it easy, take it easy." He didn't stroke his head, he just left his hand there. He didn't dare to do it, because he felt that if he did, it would hurt him more than it already was.

And Akira cried, pant, as the man comforted him.

At least it tasted bittersweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... i just thought that this was a good concept. And... holy heck, i will make this one-shot into a three-shot.

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot was inspired by this Tweet
> 
> From the moment i read it i knew, that i needed to write this down. I got a huge inspiration and has been a lot since the last thing i wrote about P5 and Akiren's angst. 
> 
> I promise the next one is going to be the "Ahap!AU" thing. ;-;
> 
> Enjoy!


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